A brisk walk of just 11 minutes, performed every day, is enough to reduce the risk of premature death, according to a study released this Tuesday, February 28, by researchers from the British University of Cambridge.
Researchers point out that one in ten early deaths could be prevented if everyone managed to do at least half the recommended amount of physical activity.
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, argues that 11 minutes a day, or 75 minutes a week, of moderate to intense physical activity, such as brisk walking, is enough to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke stroke (CVA) or various types of cancer.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, responsible for 17,9 million deaths in 2019, while cancers caused 9,6 million deaths in 2017, underline the researchers.
According to the study, physical activity, particularly of moderate intensity, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and the British public health system (NHS, its acronym in English) recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
To explore the amount of activity needed to have a beneficial impact on preventing chronic disease or premature death, researchers at the University of Cambridge analyzed data from all the evidence.
Scientists evaluated 196 peer-reviewed articles, covering more than 30 million participants from 94 large studies, to gather data on associations between activity levels and risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and premature death.
With 75 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, the risk of premature death was reduced by 23%.
"Doing some physical activity is better than none at all... If you consider it feasible to do 75 minutes a week, you can try gradually increasing it up to the full recommended amount," said Soren Brage, one of the study's authors.
The same 75 minutes a week of moderate activity is also enough to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 17% and cancer by 7%, according to the study.
On the other hand, James Woodcock, who also participated in the investigation, added that the study concluded "that there are substantial benefits for coronary health and that they reduce the risk of cancer even if it is only 10 minutes a day".
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